No Fair Comparison
by LoaTurtle00
Summary: Takes place after "Chipwrecked". Jeanette and Simon get a chance to talk about events that happened while they were stranded. Simon even dares to ask her about his alter-ego, Simone. Jeanette tries to compare and contrast Simon and Simone, wondering which one she prefers.
1. Taking A Breather

**No Fair Comparison**

 **About This Story:** Takes place after "Chipwrecked". Jeanette and Simon get a chance to talk about events that happened while they were stranded. Simon even dares to ask her about his alter-ego, Simone. Jeanette tries to compare and contrast Simon and Simone, wondering which one she prefers. Even though "Chipwrecked" was a live-action movie from 2011, I'll blend it a bit with the 2015 Nickelodeon cartoon series into a hybridized "Chipwrecked 2.0". Age-wise I will say they are 10. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman,  & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

 **About This Chapter:** Rated G. Family-friendly.

 **Pairings:** Simon/Jeanette

* * *

 **Taking A Breather**

The party in the hotel lobby after the International Music Awards was well underway. Simon had been enjoying himself a little more than he thought he would. But he felt like he needed a break.

He watched his little brother Theodore scouting out the buffet table with Eleanor. He also saw his other brother Alvin showing off some moves on the dance floor while he and Brittany enjoyed hanging out with the DJ. Dave was not too far, trying to keep an eye on Alvin and make sure he didn't get into too much trouble. Uncle Ian, as they were calling him again, was walking around with his date for the evening, who was none other than their new friend Zoe. She sure cleaned up nicely, in her black halter-top and floor-length evening gown, with her hair somewhat straightened and pulled into a Demi-French twist. Apparently she was still trying to get used to being around other people again. Even though there was talk of a movie in the making about her life, the fame and fortune just hadn't hit home with her yet. She and Uncle Ian were hitting it off, enjoying mingling and rubbing elbows with many of the other guests.

Simon was glad that both Uncle Ian and Zoe were on good terms with his family once again. Even Jeanette had forgiven Zoe and had helped her get ready for that night, or so he heard. _Wait a minute! Where was Jeanette in all of this? Maybe she went back to the hotel room._ She was even more introverted than Simon, and he knew she could only take so much before being worn out by crowds, parties, and public attention in general.

All Simon knew at the moment was that he needed some fresh air. He quickly grabbed two glasses of punch from near the buffet table before he headed out to the patio balcony overlooking the pool. He wanted two glasses of punch in case he got extra thirsty outside and didn't want to go back inside for a refill.

Once outside, he realized what a beautiful night it was. He almost headed towards the right side of the balcony, since there seemed like a nice view from over there. But he stopped when he saw a familiar figure on the left side.

It was Jeanette! He recognized her silhouette immediately. She was standing on a wooden bench so she could look over the balcony railing. She was reclining against her elbows on the railing, casually looking up at the sky. The cock-eyed bun in her hair was starting to frizz a little after the performance earlier that night, since her hair was a little more wavy than that of her sisters. Her lips were moving a little, maybe she was talking - or singing - to herself. Her calf-length, flowing light purple dress sparkled in the moonlight as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other in her black ballet flat shoes. Her fluffy tail seemed to twitch from side to side in a casual and contented way that Simon still found alluring. _Wait, was he checking her out?_

Instead of answering that question even in his mind, Simon decided to walk over to see her.

"Oh, hi, Jeanette!" He smiled at her while thinking to himself, " _Oh, good, Simon, keep it casual_..."

She turned around and gave him a shy smile, "Hi, Simon. Isn't it nice out here?"

"It is! Just the perfect break from the party that I need." He set the punch glasses on the bench seat so they wouldn't spill as he hopped up to join her.

"Oh, how sweet of you!" Jeanette bent down to pick up the glasses of punch. "Is one of these for me?"

Once Simon was at her side at the balcony railing, he stammered, "Why, uh...yes. Yes it is." The thought entered his mind, " _I'll get thirsty in half the time, but I would rather be generous than well-hydrated, especially with someone like Jeanette."_

"Thank you, Simon. That's very thoughtful of you." She smiled at him as they both took a small sip. "How are you enjoying the party?"

"Oh, you're welcome, by the way..." He began. "And it is a nice party, but I just needed a break from it. I'm not the big party animal that Alvin is." He laughed.

"Yeah, me neither." She shrugged. "I know what you mean about needing a break. I can only stand so much socializing before I need my alone time." She then corrected herself, thinking what she just said might make Simon think she didn't want him around. "Oh, but it's OK if you stay, Simon, I like some alone time in the company of one or two others. Usually one or both of my sisters joins me. But it could be nice hanging out with you, too."

"That's cool." He smiled nervously. "I myself prefer an intimate group of friends to a huge party. So, what brought you over to this side of the balcony? It looks like there is a more open view on the right side of the patio balcony."

She shrugged, "For one thing, there were a few people over there smoking, and I just can't breathe in that nasty polluted air."

"Good call, Jeanette." Simon interjected. "Secondhand smoke is not good for our singing voices, or our overall health, for that matter."

"Yeah." She nodded. "Plus, this bench was already over here by the railing, so I didn't have to move any patio furniture to get this good of a view. I don't even know if I could move it by myself, anyways. Things just worked out better over here."

They simultaneously sighed contentedly. There were a few seconds of silence as they just admired the view around them. Jeanette glanced downward and started rubbing the outside of her arms with her hands.

Simon read her cue, and started removing his blue blazer jacket. He was still in his long-sleeved white button-up shirt, black neck tie, black pants, blue socks, and Oxford shoes. It felt kinda nice to be out of that extra layer. He placed it around Jeanette's shoulders, noticing how soft her skin felt next to the tiny rough sequins on the shoulder straps of her dress.

"Thank you, Simon." She placed her right hand on top of his left hand as he adjusted the collar of his jacket on her left shoulder.

He leaned in with his head resting on her right shoulder, while his right hand patted the outside of her right arm, as if giving her a small hug from behind. She leaned her head to the right to rest against his.

* * *

 **A/N:** This was originally going to be one story with only one chapter. But once I finished it, I re-thought that, and decided to break it into 3 chapters. I would like to give a shout-out or dedication: the smokers on the patio area were inspired by some real-life events in my family. Any time we would go somewhere, and there was a nice view outside, it seems there would always be someone smoking in that area, which would throw my little sister Molly into an asthma attack. So this chapter is dedicated to Molly, and others like her who are allergic to smoke.


	2. Needing Clarity

**No Fair Comparison**

 **About This Story:** Takes place after "Chipwrecked". Jeanette and Simon get a chance to talk about events that happened while they were stranded. Simon even dares to ask her about his alter-ego, Simone. Jeanette tries to compare and contrast Simon and Simone, wondering which one she prefers. Even though "Chipwrecked" was a live-action movie from 2011, I'll blend it a bit with the 2015 Nickelodeon cartoon series into a hybridized "Chipwrecked 2.0". Age-wise I will say they are 10. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman,  & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

 **About This Chapter:** Rated PG. Mostly conversations, a few of them alluding to more grown-up subject matter. Also some descriptions of affection that are romantic in nature (still family-friendly).

 **Pairings:** Simon/Jeanette

* * *

 **Needing Clarity**

"You know, Simon," she started, "I'm really glad it's you with me right now, and not anyone else - including Simone."

"What?" Simon glanced up at her. "For the tenth time, I apologize if I did or said anything weird to you while I was...not myself on that island."

"It's OK, Simon," she reassured him, patting his left hand on her shoulder again. "I didn't think you did anything wrong during that time. You were still a perfect gentleman with me, just more daring and confident, and you had a French accent. Sometimes I didn't know if I was just getting to know another side of you, or if I was getting to know a totally different person."

"Really?" Simon felt a little more relieved to hear this from her. "Alvin told me he found Simone annoying, and that he thought Simone was stealing his thunder. Theodore told me it was like hanging out and having fun with Alvin, but without everything getting him into trouble. Dave didn't really know him well enough to have an opinion of him, but he was still relieved when I woke up in his arms as Simon and not as some stranger. I don't know what to think of Simone, since I've never actually met him. In some ways I'm a little embarrassed about him, but I don't know."

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Simon." Jeanette assured him. "I mean, it was Simon who was there for me, coming to my rescue in the end. I'm sure Simone would have, if he were there, and he wouldn't think twice about the risks." When she saw that Simon sighed dejectedly, while leaning on his elbows and looking off the balcony, she curled up next to him and gave him a friendly nudge. "But that's somehow why it means more to me that you came to my rescue as _Simon_. I _know_ you considered the risks when coming for me, but you came _anyway_. You are so much braver than you give yourself credit for, you know."

He turned to smile at her. "Oh, Jeanette! Thank you for telling me that. If you don't mind...I have other questions about Simone, and I feel like I can trust you to answer them better than most."

"Sure!" She nodded. "If I had an interesting alternate personality or suffered amnesia, I'd want someone to fill me in. What was the last thing you remember before Simone took over?"

Simon paused. "Well, I was going to sleep on the beach, around the campfire. The spider bite was giving me this strange sensation, that was oddly both burning and chilling at the same time - the neurotoxin was definitely confusing my nerves, that's for sure. Anyway, the sensation was traveling up my arm while I was trying to sleep. Next thing I remember I was waking up in Dave's arms. I saw Ian in a weird bird costume, and my brothers and Eleanor were also there, glad I was OK. And Brittany was asking me all these questions about where you were. She even said that I had taken you on a date. But fortunately you said that Simone was a 'perfect gentleman' to you, so I hope he didn't try to put any moves on you to make you feel uncomfortable."

"He didn't. And it wasn't like a typical one-on-one type 'date', either. Eleanor, Theodore, and Zoe were with us the whole time. At that point in our relationship, it probably wouldn't have been a good idea for me to go off alone with Simone."

Simon had a slightly worried expression on his face. "I hope he would've still been the 'perfect gentleman' with you, but it's good not to willingly enter a situation where there could be any temptation otherwise."

"Yeah, since I don't know if I'd be able to keep my hands off him!" Jeanette sighed. When Simon shot her a questioning look, she started giggling. "Sorry, Simon, I just couldn't resist messing with you."

Simon shook his head and smiled. "Now I'm worried about my time spent as Simone for a different set of reasons. I didn't...um...procreate with you or, uh..." He fussed with loosening his shirt collar and necktie, since he was so nervous about bringing up such a subject. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "...I didn't lose my virginity as Simone, did I? Oh, Dave would kill me for sure!"

Jeanette rubbed his left shoulder reassuringly. "No, no, no... At least not with me. Unless Simone did stuff on his own time that the rest of us don't know about. But I think you're getting worried for nothing about that." She paused, and finished more slowly than before. "And...by the way...I...hope to save myself in that regard."

Simon finally swallowed the lump that was stuck in his throat. "Yeah, that goes for me too. Thank goodness!"

Both of them looked at each other and released a simultaneous sigh of relief. "Whew!" They realized the subject had provoked a lot of anxiety and sweating for both of them as they noticed their eyeglasses were even fogging up.

"Oh, my goodness..." They shared a laugh as they looked at each other through foggy glasses, and continued to laugh as they both removed their glasses from their faces so they could clean them off. Simon cleaning his on his shirt sleeve, and Jeanette cleaning hers on the sleeve of Simon's blazer which still hung around her shoulders. Naturally, they even replaced their glasses back over their eyes simultaneously.

"Is it getting hot out here?" Simon chuckled. When he just saw Jeanette smiling at him, he continued, "Are you warm enough, by the way?"

"I'm felling a lot better now. If anything, I'm getting toasty. Thanks, Simon." She took Simon's blazer off her shoulders and handed it back to him. She picked up her glass of punch from its resting place on the balcony railing, and took a few gulps.

Simon draped his blazer neatly over the back of the bench while he found his glass of punch resting on the balcony railing so he could take a few gulps. Once he finished, he exhaled satisfactorily. "Ahhh... That was refreshing!"

"It sure was!" Jeanette smiled at him as she finished her glass of punch. "Thanks, again, for bringing those out here for us, Simon."

"Sure thing, Jeanette!" He accepted her empty glass and stacked it with his own empty glass on the balcony railing next to his blazer.

The two of them enjoyed one another's company side-by-side in silence as they admired the view for a few minutes. They were quiet enough that they could hear some smooth jazz playing from inside the hotel lobby. Without thinking about it, they started swaying in sync with the music. Both of them leaning against folded arms resting on the railing. Jeanette even rested her head against Simon's shoulder, and he rested his head against hers. He thought he could hear her humming along to the music for a while.

When she stopped humming, or moving, Simon glanced over at her, wondering if she had fallen asleep for a moment. "Jeanette?"

"Hmm?" She took her head off his shoulder to glance over at him.

He saw her shiver slightly. Instead of dusting off his blazer from its resting place on the back of the bench, Simon himself stood behind Jeanette. His arms enveloped the outside of her arms. His palms found the backs of her hands, and he pulled her into a hug. He continued swaying to the music, almost as though he were rocking her to sleep, but it was more of a slow-dance. She interlaced her fingers with his as they held their arms at waist-level.

"Oh, Simon..." She almost mumbled in a whisper.

"Jeanette..." He smiled.

The music stopped, so Jeanette glanced back at him, with a slight hint of a giggle in her voice. "You know what the craziest thing was that I did with Simone?"

"Gee, that doesn't kill the nice romantic mood or anything, Jeanette." Simon chuckled sarcastically. "But what was the craziest thing you did with Simone? And was it anything I should be worried about?"

"Well..." She giggled. "I think we'd just have to worry about getting a serious _infection_." She saw Simon's eyes widen at this, which was just the reaction she was hoping to get from him. As much as she cared for Simon, she couldn't resist the occasional flirty teasing with him, as a way of showing how comfortable she was around him. "An _upper respiratory infection_ , that is, since we danced in the rain."

He laughed with relief. "Oh? What kind of dance was it?"

She thought for a moment, "Well, it wouldn't exactly fit the mood of that previous song, but he did teach me some lively and fun dance moves. Don't worry, nothing embarrassing or anything. At one point in our dance, without interrupting his dancing with me, he even leaned over to Theodore and encouraged him to ask Eleanor to dance. Theodore actually asked her, and she even said yes! She told me later it was nice to get off her crutches, forget about her ankle injury, and just have fun with Theodore like that."

"Sounds like Simone was a nice wingman for Theodore." Simon chuckled in a way that sounded as if he were coming to terms with Simone, and accepting him as a part of his life now.

"Yeah," Jeanette giggled again, but smiled at him in a more serious way. "But you're still better as a big brother to Theodore - or the rest of us - any day. And I really enjoyed dancing with you just now. Nobody watching us, under a clear and beautiful night sky. I mean, I'd be happy to show you some of the dance moves Simone taught me, but maybe some other time when I have more energy or a more upbeat song. But this dance with you is just perfect for now, Simon." She leaned her head back to rest on his left shoulder.

"Really?" He continued to cradle her. "I'm also wondering... What if there were a way for myself as Simon, to somehow meet Simone? Or if Simone and myself stood side by side, what would happen? Do you think we would be friends? Or would we be rivals, since both of us would be competing for a dance with you at a party like this one? Or would this entire scenario disrupt the space-time continuum to the point that it just makes the entire universe implode?" He shook his head and sighed. "Sorry, as you can see, I've been obsessing and over-thinking this whole situation regarding Simone, ever since I learned about him."

She gave both of his hands a gentle squeeze. "I don't blame you for wanting closure. And sure, it can be frustrating for someone of your genius to not have all the answers. The mystery that most of us still wonder was: where was Simon while Simone was here with us?"

"That, I do not know." Sighed Simon.

"One possible meta-physical answer that I've considered," Jeanette began, "Is that maybe 'Simone' was like your guardian angel or spirit guide sent to protect all of us on that island, including your sleeping subconscious. And when you woke up, Simone was no longer 'needed'." She chuckled. "Or, if you prefer a sci-fi answer, Simone was a time-traveler sent from the future who needed to complete some mission of protecting our family during our stay on the island so that he could even be born at some time in the future."

Simon awkwardly chuckled, "Are you using my love of science fiction to seduce me into someday settling down and starting a family with you where we have a son named Simone?" As he heard her laughing, he added with a slight nudge, "Jeanette! You sly vixen, you!"

"Sorry, Simon. Again, I'm just messing with you to lighten the mood. I'm not _trying_ to put the idea on the table of us with a family someday, but that doesn't mean I'm taking it off the table, either." She playfully nudged him back. "I mean, we're only ten! As much as I value our relationship, I want to finish high school, college, and maybe a grad school program or two before...all that."

"Hey, that's my dream!" Simon pretended to be upset at her for stealing his master plan. "Except for there's a Nobel Prize in there somewhere..."

"If it makes you more comfortable," Jeanette thought for a moment, "Maybe a future version of you perfected cloning as well as time-travel, so that wins you a Nobel Prize. And Simone was actually cloned from your DNA, and he was raised in France as part of an experiment. That explains why he looked like you, but his behavior and accent were different."

"Huh?" Simon shrugged. "And I thought I had an over-active imagination. You have actually made me feel better about the whole situation, by throwing around all these different stories and giving me a good laugh about it. So...thanks, Jeanette."

"Sure thing! To think that it's really because of Simone, that I'm more comfortable around you, Simon." She added. "I guess if I realize I can still trust you even after you lose that much inhibition, that I can trust you once you gain it back."

"Good to know." Simon gently squeezed her hands in his.

Another few minutes of sweet, blissful silence followed as they admired the view and enjoyed each other's company. Another slower tune was playing in the lobby, so Simon continued to cradle Jeanette in his embrace, while she again closed her eyes and quietly hummed along to the tune.

This time when the song reached its end, Jeanette turned around to face Simon, releasing her hold on his hands. "Simon, are you almost ready to go back to the room? I must admit, I'm getting kinda sleepy." She yawned and stretched.

"Kinda tired, myself." He nodded. "But before we go back inside, there is one more thing I was wondering about Simone... And that's..." He gently placed his arms around her in a hug, and he lowered his voice to a whisper again as his eyes met hers. "...Out of Simone and myself, which one of us is the better kisser?"

Jeanette smiled in surprise as she rested her arms around his shoulders and upper back. Considering his question, she began, "Well..."

Without giving her much time to answer, Simon twisted her around to his right side, with his left arm supporting her mid-back, and his right hand supporting the back of her upper back and neck, in a pose similar to a famous black-and-white photograph of a sailor coming home from war. He could hear Jeanette gasp in surprise, but thankfully not in pain or fear. He closed his eyes as his lips met hers in a gentle but passionate kiss.

She squealed in delight as she kissed him back. Once she stopped kissing him, and opened her eyes to look at him, she whispered excitedly, "Oh, Simon!"

His eyes opened to smile at her as he straightened himself up, and helped her get back to a fully upright position. " _Ooh, la, la!_ " He chuckled with the slight hint of a French accent, making her giggle.

* * *

 **A/N:** I like their relationship. Both of them are obviously super-smart. Simon seems like the kind who likes to crunch numbers and explain things in terms of science and math (physical sciences), while Jeanette seems like the type who likes more life sciences and who is intrigued by more mysterious things (magic, meta-physics, spiritual stuff, etc). Yet Simon can't "explain" Jeanette or his feelings for her in terms of logic and reason, but maybe he likes that about her, and that intrigues him about her. And I think Jeanette likes him because he's intelligent without being arrogant about it, he's respectful of others and their opinions, real, honest, and he's overall a considerate gentleman with her. Some people might argue that he didn't seem as considerate in the scene in "Chipwrecked" when he didn't help Eleanor out of the zip-lining basket, causing her to fall and sprain her ankle. But it looked to me like he was about to turn around and help her, as soon as he finished talking to Zoe. Oh well, nobody's perfect.

In case anyone is reading this story before reading my other Chipmunk story, "The Missed Adventure", just to clarify, I'm going out on a limb with assuming ages or age-order of the chipmunks. Plenty may disagree with this arrangement, but my conclusion is that their age-order is the numbers on their soccer jerseys in the 2015 Nickelodeon cartoon episode "Mutiny" (1. Simon, 2. Jeanette, 3. Brittany, 4. Alvin, 5. Theodore, 6. Eleanor). That seemed to explain to me why Alvin was #4 and not #1, since he seems to make everything else about him (he's #1 in everything else). I would also think Alvin and Brittany are in the middle, since they are always the "center" of attention, and "center" of their own universe.


	3. Putting The Matter To Bed

**No Fair Comparison**

 **About This Story:** Takes place after "Chipwrecked". Jeanette and Simon get a chance to talk about events that happened while they were stranded. Simon even dares to ask her about his alter-ego, Simone. Jeanette tries to compare and contrast Simon and Simone, wondering which one she prefers. Even though "Chipwrecked" was a live-action movie from 2011, I'll blend it a bit with the 2015 Nickelodeon cartoon series into a hybridized "Chipwrecked 2.0". Age-wise I will say they are 10. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman,  & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

 **About This Chapter:** Rated G. Mostly family moments.

 **Pairings:** Simon/Jeanette

* * *

 **Putting The Matter To Bed**

They suddenly heard the door open to the patio area, along with a familiar voice. "There you guys are!" Dave sighed with relief.

Worried of how Dave would react if he saw them engaging in any romantic activity, Simon quickly bluffed by saying loud enough for Dave to hear, "Careful, Jeanette, or you'll fall off the bench." He added a quick wink to her while pretending to stabilize her.

"Thanks, Simon. You know how clumsy I can be." She smiled and shrugged.

Dave walked over to join them at the railing. "I was getting worried when I couldn't find either of you, and no one else in our family had seen you in a while."

"Sorry, Dave." They said simultaneously.

"We just wanted to come out here to enjoy the view and the night sky." Added Simon.

"But now we're ready to go back inside." Finished Jeanette.

"That's good to hear. The others were getting worn out - even Alvin, so we were all about to head back to our suite." Dave explained.

Simon hopped off the bench, and began helping Jeanette.

"Aren't you forgetting anything, Simon?" Dave prompted.

"Oh right, my jacket!" Simon retrieved his jacket and their empty punch glasses. "Oh, and don't wanna leave those." He hopped back off the bench to rejoin his father, who was holding the door open and waiting for them. He set the punch glasses carefully beside the door.

Despite Dave's weariness, he still smiled at his charges as they entered the hotel. Once inside the door, he even crouched down to pat Jeanette gently on the back, and rub the back of Simon's dark brown hair affectionately before standing fully upright again. "I found them!" Dave announced to an area in the lobby consisting of couches and chairs that were circled around a coffee table. The other four chipmunks, as well as Zoe and Ian, were scattered and sitting throughout this arrangement of furniture.

"It's about time!" Brittany huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm already missing some valuable beauty sleep." She slid to the floor from her chair, the skirt of her light pink glittery sleeveless dress flouncing around her calves, as her black ballet flat shoes clicked on the tile floor.

"We can all see how far behind you are on that!" Alvin teased as he swung out his red blazer jacket he was holding so that the end of it slapped Brittany's back.

She growled at him, even though it didn't hurt her. She even threw a backhanded slap in his direction, which clipped the bill of his cap, knocking it to the floor. Brittany smiled smugly watching Alvin going through the trouble of retrieving his hat.

"Cut it out, you two." Dave chastised them. "We're ready to go back to the room and go to bed, and I don't want to hear any more fighting or complaining. Or else I will tie the two of you together as if you are hugging, snap a picture of it, and post it online somewhere. Understand?"

Alvin and Brittany quickly both shot each other one last glare, before they looked back up at their father. "Yes, Dave."

Ian was helping Eleanor off the couch with one hand holding hers. "And you're sure you can walk back to the room, OK, Eleanor?"

She took a few steps by herself, noticing she was still limping on the right ankle. "I don't know, Uncle Ian..."

"Because I don't mind carrying you." He extended his hands out in front of the little girl chipmunk while kneeling. "I can even get you some ice for your ankle, if you want."

"OK." She shrugged as she hobbled between his hands so that he could scoop her up. She was too tired to walk, and her ankle had started to swell again after the concert. There was no time for her to think about how much she was willing to trust Uncle Ian again. She also knew Dave was just a few feet away. "Thanks, Uncle Ian!" She smiled once she rested perched in the crook of Ian's left elbow, her bare feet both dangling in the front, as she attempted to be lady-like in her aqua green dress that matched the style of her sisters' dresses. Her black ballet flat shoes were resting in her lap, the right one removed from her foot to make room for her swollen ankle, the left one removed so her feet would match.

Zoe stood up, carrying Theodore in her right arm like a sleeping toddler. His right foot dangled in the front, while his left foot dangled in the back. Zoe carried his green blazer jacket in her left hand. "Is he asleep?" She whispered to Ian, turning so that Ian could see Theodore's face.

Ian nodded and whispered, "I think so."

She used the fingers of her right hand to gently stroke the back of Theodore's sandy-blonde hair as his head rested on her shoulder.

They smiled as they each admired one another holding their chipmunk "babies", surprised at how it almost made them look like a natural pair of parents in the process. Almost as if they were telepathically communicating to each other, " _If we end up together someday, let's have a few of these of our own._ "

Despite how Ian used to think these two little chipmunks were dispensable, he was getting attached to them. He even now saw past their chubbiness, which he used to find undesirable, but now he found it endearing. He started to realize how warm, cuddly, and sweet they were. It was still sometimes hard to remember that they were ten years old, and no longer the toddlers they appeared to be when held. They were also fairly lighter and easier to carry than he expected.

All nine of them boarded an elevator cab together. The Seville family had their own suite, while Ian and Zoe each had their own neighboring rooms. It was a quiet trip on the elevator, since everyone was tired after both the concert and the party. Their rooms were still a ways down the end of the hall, with Dave, Alvin, and Brittany at the front, and Simon and Jeanette bringing up the caboose.

Since they realized no one else in their group was watching them, Simon and Jeanette even held hands as they walked. They both knew they cared for each other, but weren't ready to "go public" with their relationship just yet.

Once at the Seville's suite, Dave opened the door to allow Alvin and Brittany to go inside first. Zoe then handed off Theodore and his jacket to Dave's left arm, while Ian transferred Eleanor to his empty right arm.

"Do you still need that ice pack?" Ian asked Eleanor once she was with Dave.

"Oh, I think we still have your ice pack in our freezer, Eleanor." Dave said to her. To Ian, he replied, "I think we're good, but thanks, though."

"Thanks again, Uncle Ian!" Eleanor waved with a smile as Ian retreated to his own room.

Inside the suite, Dave gently set down Eleanor on the couch's fold-out bed the girls shared. He also walked to the kitchenette area, retrieving the ice pack from the freezer for Eleanor to use. "At least you don't need the crutches as much." He rubbed her back, and gave her a kiss on top of her head. "Good night, Eleanor. Call for me if you need me."

"Thanks, Dave. Goodnight to you, too!" She smiled after him on his way to put Theodore in the boys' bed.

As he walked past the bathroom, he saw Brittany leaning her back against the closed door, her arms crossed in front of her, and a frustrated expression on her face. "Dave! Please tell Alvin to hurry up and get out of the bathroom so I can do my nightly beauty regimen."

Dave rapped his free right hand against the bathroom door. "Alvin, remember that you are sharing that bathroom with six other people."

"OK, Dave. Almost done." A chipmunk voice from the other side of the door replied, possibly around a mouthful of toothpaste.

To Brittany, Dave said, "Just give him a few more minutes before your turn. And, Brittany, remember you're sharing the bathroom, too."

She seemed a little disappointed at first, but sighed with satisfaction, "Yes, Dave."

Simon and Jeanette entered the room, closing the door behind them. They could hear the commotion from the bathroom as Dave tried to corral the troublemaker and the diva. And they knew that he would be putting Theodore to bed, after making sure Eleanor's ankle was properly iced. They decided to sit down on the sitting area lounge chair while awaiting their turn for the bathroom.

Simon began, "It used to be tough for me. I felt a little ignored, since Dave was always getting onto Alvin, and taking care of Theodore. He trusted me to be responsible and take care of myself most of the time. It's nice that I can hang out with you while Dave is preoccupied with our siblings." He slipped his left arm around her shoulders.

Jeanette laughed. "As long as I can hang out with you, Simon, I don't mind if Dave doesn't 'parent' us as much as he does the others." She rested her head on his left shoulder. "Maybe we can learn to use the time we don't have attention on us to our advantage." They shared a brief chuckle.

"And while we were outside, you know, before Dave found us, I was still wondering how I compare to Simone..." Simon began hesitantly.

She smiled up at him. "Now that you mention it, there was that brief moment where you laughed with a French accent, and I almost thought I was kissing Simone. Aside from that, the results are in - and the winning point definitely goes to you, Simon!"

He gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Thank you, Jeanette!" He added with a whisper, "So that must mean I kiss better than Simone? His lips probably felt drier on yours, since that spider venom can cause dry mouth. I sure hope I didn't have too much excess saliva."

"Well...come to think of it," began Jeanette with a coy smile and a wink, "Simone only kissed me on the hand."

* * *

THE END

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope Ian and Zoe weren't too much out-of-character. Although the chipmunks have forgiven Ian for exploiting them and putting them in cages, and they've forgiven Zoe for kidnapping Jeanette and almost killing Dave while going treasure-hungry, and they know that Ian helped save Dave's life by talking Zoe out of killing him, they haven't given them 100% of their trust yet. And they are still more comfortable around them as long as Dave is nearby. As Rick Warren explained in the book _The Purpose-Driven Life_ , forgiveness is unconditional and about the past, while trust is earned and about the future.

After all the maturing life-lessons that Alvin endured in "Chipwrecked", when tired he reverts back to a kid. And it's funny how he and Brittany fight like brother and sister, or an old married couple at times. Even after they bonded over building the shelters in "Chipwrecked", and could talk like friends. Once they both got tired, the immaturity surfaced. But let's not make this story about them.


End file.
